How To Blossom Into Spring – Food, Practices, Movement

We are part of Nature. There’s no distinction or separation between us and “outside” and the rhythms of the seasons.

Spring is a beautiful transitional period between the deep rest of winter and the fully expressed, expansiveness of summer. It’s a time for sorting things out so we may take action on all that we imagined for ourselves during the introspection of winter.

Ideally, we spent time in winter rebuilding, recuperating, resting, and reflecting – “re-“ everything! Think of the moon phases. If winter is our “dark, new moon,” time, then think of spring as the “waxing phase” before the “full moon” of summer and the “waning” of fall. As the wheel of the year turns, so must we flow and cycle with it for harmonious, whole living.

Now, we’re ready to begin to shake off the heavy, dull qualities of winter and gear up to fully express and expand! Just as the plants are swelling with life and new growth and the land is offering an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, so to must we honor the pull to reengage with life in new, evolved ways.

Food: Certain things are in season right now for a reason, like the wild thistle on my land pictured above. In the winter, we naturally gravitate towards a higher fat, heavier diet. Now, it’s time to give our systems a little rest from all the hard work of digesting that much-needed fare.

Things like bitter greens – dandelions, thistles, nettles, mustard greens, radicchio, burdock, etc. – are the perfect friend to our hepatobiliary system (liver and gallbladder). This system, in particular bile released from the gallbladder, is responsible for digesting all of the fattier foods we ate during winter. These bitter greens stimulate the release of bile from the gallbladder in the same way fats do, only this time there’s no fat to digest so the system gets to be flushed without working as hard. So beautifully perfect, huh? I mean, none of us could have designed this any better! When we turn to seasonal desires, we simply can’t go wrong. In addition, you may also notice a decrease in appetite and a desire to eat lighter foods and extra veggies. Go with it and honor your body’s desires as it syncs and speaks to you.

Practices: With the days becoming longer and warmer, there’s certainly a frisky energy in the air! You may notice a desire to play more, be outside more, and engage in social activities more frequently. Additionally, in the way that your hepatobiliary system is flushing with the abundance of bitter greens, ask yourself what else can be flushed from your life. Perhaps it’s something in your physical environment like needing to clean out your garage or closet. Maybe there’s a toxic relationship that isn’t nourishing you anymore. What needs to be released so that you can freely and fully bloom in the coming months?

Movement: Contrary to what the media and popular culture would have us believe, those resolutions made back on Jan. 1 to immediately begin to “go hard at the gym” in the middle of winter are contradictory to our Nature. While enjoyable movement is a necessary and non-negotiable daily ritual, the style and intensity of said movement must also wax and wane with the seasons. Winter is for more restorative movement and sessions of shorter burst of energy, whereas spring can bring on the longer and maybe slightly more intense sessions of movement. *All daily movement must be enjoyable, delightful, fun, and in alignment with your unique needs!*

Enjoy the season and allow yourself to become very curious about your natural responses to the change. Spend time outdoors as much as possible and allow your cells to remember the natural rhythm that pulses through you. Happy Spring!

I’m Devon Battaglia, MS, NC, RYT and I am Holistic Life Coach + Catalyst + Intuitive + Writer on a mission to identify and transmute the roots of the shame story that’s running your life so you can live your fullest, most authentic incarnation in accordance with your soul’s sacred purpose. If you feel called to work together, please schedule a complimentary, magical Core Wound Alchemy Session.